Arnold Harrison, who figures to make his second career NFL start in Atlanta, guessed that he's had as many as 50 ticket requests for Sunday's game against the Falcons.
"I've got the most," Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward said.

It's easy to see why.

Ward, like Harrison, played his college ball at Georgia, and he returns to his home state as the reigning Super Bowl MVP.

That is not the only reason why Ward will feel good heading into the 1 p.m. game.

After scuffling to a 1-3 start, the Steelers drilled the Kansas City Chiefs, 45-7, last Sunday at Heinz Field.

An offense that had struggled at times during a three-game losing streak rolled up more than 450 yards. Ward, meanwhile, caught a team-high five passes for 59 yards and scored his first touchdown since the Steelers' season opener.

"We've been close throughout the whole year," Ward said. "For whatever reason, that one person wasn't on the same page as the 10 other guys. The Kansas City game we finally had all 11 guys on the same page, and it showed."

If it shows again in the Georgia Dome, Harrison and Ward likely will beat the team for which they once hoped to play for.

That turned out to be a prophecy of sorts, since he played several different skills positions at Georgia, including quarterback, before blossoming as a wide receiver.

Despite Ward's decorated career in nearby Athens, Atlanta passed on him several times in the 1998 draft before the Steelers grabbed him at the end of the third round.

"I was a huge Falcons fan; a little disappointed when they didn't draft me. But everything worked out for the best," said Ward, who has never played a regular-season game in Atlanta. "To go home and play against the team I watched growing up and knew everything about, I'm looking forward to (it)."

If demand meets supply, in regard to ticket requests, the four-time Pro Bowler may have to adopt the method Harrison will use for deciding who makes the cut.

"I've only got 15 tickets," said the second-year pro, who will likely play for the injured Joey Porter, "so, if the last name ain't Harrison, you might be out."

__________________"We're not going to turn our backs on him," Ward said. "We're going to treat him like our brother. We're going to accept him back and be very supportive of him and help him get through this. In this locker room, he's still our quarterback."

I'm a big Georgia Bulldog fan, so I've followed Ward's career for a long time. Also Veron Haynes (I know he's not popular on this board).
Glad we got 'em, wish we could have picked up David Pollack (although his career could possibly be over, sad). Ben-gals can have Odell.

The Dogs have a bruising RB that I would love for the Steelers to have in a couple of years, Brandon Sutherland. He's like a battering ram.